This is what the dictatorship is for: to allow the pillaging of Canterbury’s most valuable natural resource, its water, for the private profit of a few, with the costs dumped on the many. We should not tolerate it. And when democracy is finally restored in Canterbury, we should reverse it and force the farmers to pay for the water they use.

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35 comments on “NRT: Pillaging the Rakaia”

There is a bird that is unique that breeds ONLY on the South Island braided river beds. It is the only bird in the world whose beak bends to one side. This is the Wrybill Plover.

These little characters are highly endangered, their numbers threatened by environmental change. In short they need a clear square kilometer of shingle on the river bed in order to nest. That means no broom / lupins etc which in turn encourage introduced predators. To keep these areas clear a MINIMUM flow regime is required, which is one reason why the Rakaia had a Conservation Order.

With other very committed people we fought a fight in the 70s and 80s against these same freeloading farmers to save the Rakaia. A generation later and it is all in shreds, no democratic process involved. Every National MP plus their supporters can now add to their CV a very particular skill: extinction specialist..

When these cretins die their gravestones should record, “I knew lots about economics, and lots about destroying my childrens future”.

Quite right Murray. Maintaining a healthy environment is good economics. All this lot know ‘lots about’ is how to divert what belongs to all of us into the pockets of their mates. And don’t be fooled into believing these mates are ‘farmers’ ‘cockies’ or any gumbooted worker, no these mates are suited wealthy corporates who live in cities and own this land. The National Party are their bum boys.

EiR
I heard on Radionz this morning about the difficulties that conservationists and non-vandals have in nz and some of their triumphs.
10-11am: Feature interview – Botanist and conservationist Sir Alan Mark

I have a lovely, old aerial photo taken of the Canterbury Plains near harvest time, patches of green yellow etc, all squared off. Now as one flies over there are the ubiquitious circles of green with the travelling irrigators circling and flinging precious water into the air as if it isn’t precious. While we go after these ‘cash crops of dairy’ we aren’t growing our own wheat and basic foods. But there is money for the big boys, dairy are the new deer. (Remember when all the wealthy went into deer farming.) And the taint in our milk product from nitrogen inhibitor is just the start of the decline of our brand under the factory farming techniques of wealthy men and women who’ve got control of our main assets.

I bought some Otago apricots in Nelson the other day. The desire for water for electricity has destroyed another food – of apricots – rich in Vitamin A. Milk itself is expensive for us as a food.
Perhaps we will be buying it in from China soon, where some deal will be struck up to bring in some cheap finely engineered milk now that we don’t try and supply anything for ourselves

So what I find very strange about this whole situation is that while I can understand on a national level no one is reporting these abuses or the general disrespect/uselessness of brownlee sticking his nose into everything. But surely at a local level 80+ percent of chch hates these guys by now? Yet they don’t seem to, which basically makes me pretty depressed about NZs political situation since if you can’t even shift the attitudes of people on the receiving end, what can you do.

But surely at a local level 80+ percent of chch hates these guys by now? Yet they don’t seem to, which basically makes me pretty depressed about NZs political situation since if you can’t even shift the attitudes of people on the receiving end, what can you do.

What do you want us to do…Labour voted to give Gerry the Hutt the power to shit all over us. The East is forgotten by all and turning into a ghetto. North south and west of Chch has become richer as those that can move there do.
Chch protested against the Ecan takeover and nothing happened. We protested the corporate wank fest which created the plans for our ‘new city’. Our Mayor is a dickwad in the mold of John Key.
Mana don’t show up cause Chch like old white dudes.
Greens chase the yuppie vote in the West of Chch.
Labour are Labour…they assume if National screw someone over, those victims will then vote for Labour. The Nats will probably take the city again in 2014. Rebuilding will begin in mid 2013 and Nats will have quite a profile in Chch then. 2014 will see the lowest voter turnout because we are sick of protesting and have nobody to vote for. My guess is the East will go to Labour and the rest to the Nats*

If you look at the so called recovery of Chch, it has been used as a political tool.
Following the immediate disaster recovery stage, the clearing of the CBD has been going at a snails pace to subdue unemployment. The main rebuilding will be done to synchronise with National’s 2014 election – expect to see major projects being completed a few months before the election. The new plan for the city took all the desires of the people (except low cost housing in the city centre) and screwed them so that they became vehicles for big businesses. The call for more green space resulted in a horrid green belt which drives up land prices and excludes small businesses. The new arts precinct sits next to the casino. The stadium will be on the east side – stadiums often create an environment where crime increases. ..and who the fuck asked for a convention centre?
We are going to be asked to sell the city’s assets to pay for this robbery.

Some things are improving, some are getting worse. The things that are improving have not come from the government, nor from other political parties. Those in power, those in opposition, those at a local level and those at a national level have fucked us. Its not fair to expect us to keep being politically active when there is nobody there to represent us. The people of Chch are victims of disaster capitalism…the problem with that kind of oppression is that the more political you get, the more you suffer
Christchurch is tired, the more we try the more we lose.
Wake us up when a political party wants to help us.

Of course non of this is reported on the MSM. More important things to report. Take this mornings news for example, more important things like saturation cover of the “state” funeral of Paul Holmes, and is the sister to the female who married William, here or not here to compete in the South Island coast to coast race. Who the F**k cares.

Yes I thought about adding that but by leaving it as just the farmers it actually exposes the true culprits – those who in fact do the stealing and shafting and who work and are driven by greed.

It is the farmers who keep asking for this and getting their politicians to steal it for them. The politicians are equally disgusting but the focus must go on the farmers themselves. Personally preferably.

You know, this Central Palins Water scheme has not that many farmers who will benefit. It may be worth naming them. Putting their identity up in lights and asking them to personally answer the issues.

If these farmers had any backbone they would stand up. Bet they dont – yellow cowards

There are non-intensive dairy farmers out there whose farms are just as productive as the intensive kind. Difference being they farm in high-rainful areas (and don’t need to take water from rivers; lakes; aquifers); and they are good farmers.

have the farms been converted to dairy? That’s a small part of the problem. Farmers who switched to dairy on land subject to droughts.

I also agree that many farmers are responsible in how they farm their land. BUT with all things it’s the lowest denominator that is focused upon… like the many farmers I know who rail upon ALL the bludgers on benefits… the danger of low level thinking abounds

There is no serious credible research on the quantity of the underground supply, nor of the replenishment rate. Criminal to go ahead without that knowledge.
The Christchurch City water supply is artesian and it is largely unknown just what effect that diminishing the flow of the Waimakariri River or the Ragitata will have.
The irrigated water will be free to farmers and is a gigantic subsidy. (Carter reckons “…but they have to buy expensive irrigators!”)
During a drought the needs for irrigation will steal waterflows to below minimum needed to sustain healthy river life, therefore destroying trout and salmon populations.

National’s strategy for economic growth amounts to a ‘step change’ in the rate of exploitation of natural resources supplemented by ‘irrigating’ the private sector with the privatisation of public assets at regular intervals.

It also has the handy side-effect of requiring the further disempowering of ordinary people’s democratic impulses in order to put the great economic strategy into effect.

Questions about what kind of growth – and what extent of growth – we might all like are completely off the agenda. Supposedly one vote in three years is all that’s needed to satiate our – anorexic – appetite for democracy. (In fact, Key is in favour of a four year term, so there’s no clear and present danger of us gorging ourselves on democracy pie.)

And, in other news from Christchurch, Brownlee has had a ‘secret meeting’ with the Council as he thinks they should not be working on their ten year work plan, so they’re looking at a ‘workaround’ of the Local Government Act that requires them to develop one.

As Eugenie Sage says in the link, it’s another little bit of democratic participation that will go by the wayside – irrespective of Parker’s promise that the community will still be involved.

Just how uninformed and gullible does this government think Cantabrians are?

I heard Brownlee was turning up unexpectedly… but really arent these guys calendars organised months and months in advance? So it wasn’t a last minute decision, he was always going, he just decided to make it an ambush on council?

ChCh is suffering from the ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’ syndrome at the moment, most people up north will be wondering why they aren’t rioting in the streets.

Well some of you will have seen the picture of the rat with it’s head caught in a trap, and someone standing behind the rat holding it’s tail high in the air, the caption saying “everyone wants to screw you when your down!”

I have visited and lived in countries and watched sometimes violent civil disobedience. Twice I recall arriving as a visitor in cities (Chicago and LA) and feeling the tension in the air. A few weeks later I was gone and huge riots broke out. I thought, “No surprise. Even a stranger like me could feel this coming.”

I am always glad to come home to peaceful NZ. But another side of me wonders if all this “peacefulness” is healthy. Like the spouse who never protests being beaten up. Like the CHC blogger here who said they have given up protesting.

I have friends and family in Christchurch, many who voted for Bob and the Nats. What I would call conservative NZ. Was down doing a mass visit two weeks ago and got around most of them. All but one are appalled at how things are going, none will vote for Bob again and only 1 would vote for National again.

I don’t know that they have been abandoned by the rest of us. But this government has a policy of divide and conquer… it’s present in their refusal to speak with the Maori Council, preferring to deal with individual iwi, and it was present in the formation of Auckland Council, now moving to a city near you.

The Nats will focus on the name calling of the Greens to plant the ancient meme of funny money hippies and loonies… leaving disaffected people nowhere to go with their vote.

I’ve been mulling over the divide and conquer thing for quite a while – why that tactic has so much staying power and what are the most effective responses?

I’d like to think the ‘funnymoney hippiesandloonies’ was rapidly losing potency, I certainly think it will over the longer term. New Zealanders have a new respect for the land since Christchurch, we no longer feel quite as secure. Makes all those other issues that depend on nature’s bounty more real. Every time there’s an earthquake, the old mountains start rumbling, your garden starts going crazy and flowers when it shouldn’t and more glaciers melt and alpine spheres retreat, we register a little more anxiety – it’s cumulative.

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Navy Ships Arriving Home After Long Deployments The frigate HMNZS TE KAHA and tanker HMNZS ENDEAVOUR will arrive at the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland at 10am this Sunday 2 August, after long overseas deployments. Over 1100 family and friends… ...

Social Service Providers Aotearoa (SSPA) is concerned about the potential for a proposed study on new born children to go awry unless the paramountcy principle of commitment to the Care and Protection of Children is upheld. This commitment means that… ...

Responding to the report that Auckland’s Councillors and Mayor Len Brown look set for a 2.3 per cent pay increase, just days after voting to increase the average rates burden by 9.9 per cent, Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Carmel Claridge, says: ...

Responding to the report that Auckland’s Councillors and Mayor Len Brown look set for a 2.3 per cent pay increase, just days after voting to increase the average rates burden by 9.9 per cent, Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Carmel Claridge, says: ...

Responding to the report that Auckland’s Councillors and Mayor Len Brown look set for a 2.3 per cent pay increase, just days after voting to increase the average rates burden by 9.9 per cent, Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson, Carmel Claridge, says: ...

After 3 years of legal battle the government has now agreed to make full offers to commercial and vacant land owners whose properties were illegally red-zoned. However it decided to single out self-insured homeowners and offers nothing for their homes. ...

Strong response to Draft Transition Recovery Plan The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) has started analysing more than 2500 written comments received on the transition of recovery arrangements in greater Christchurch. The Recovery Plan ...

Heard you were able to get back to your dad’s turangawaewae last week. Mean … hope you had a good catch up with the whanau. I also hear you’re getting ready to endorse the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), and I’m… ...

The family of Lecretia Seales has decided not to appeal the High Court decision in the case of Seales v. Attorney General released to the public by Justice Collins last month on June 5th. Ms Seales passed away several hours… ...

Auckland’s only centre-right Mayoral candidate Stephen Berry says in light of massive rates increases it is inappropriate for the Mayor or any Councillors to be accepting a pay increase. “I propose that until such time as the Council passes a… ...

Predictive risk model in the prevention of child abuse – UNICEF NZ urges caution Research and testing of a predictive risk model to assist in identifying and responding to children at risk of child abuse is important work but must… ...

"Dow AgroSciences, Fonterra and Methanex are three named sponsors of Taranaki Regional Council's Environmental Awards. Their sponsorships makes a total mockery of these awards. This is akin to a weapons manufacturer sponsoring a peace scholarship" ...

Wikileaks has just posted a ‘guidance’ document for TPPA ministers on SOE-related issues ( https://wikileaks.org/tpp-soe-minister/ ). Although dated December 2013, Professor Jane Kelsey, a law professor from the University of Auckland who has monitored ...

With the reference to the latest “Trafficking in Persons” or TIP Report Released this Tuesday by the US Government, ECPAT Child ALERT Trust raises concerns that even though New Zealand may be in the Tier 1 category the report clearly… ...

An Independent Police Conduct Authority report released today has found that Police unlawfully detained two women and three young children following an armed response which developed from the attempted arrest of a male in Mangere on the evening of ...

The National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges welcomes the announcement of the government family and sexual violence work programme. “I am excited to see this commitment to action from the government and look forward to working alongside ...

At the conclusion of a public request for proposals and selection process, the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives has appointed Oratia Media to publish the fourth edition of the authoritative guide to the conduct of our… ...

At the conclusion of a public request for proposals and selection process, the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives has appointed Oratia Media to publish the fourth edition of the authoritative guide to the conduct of our… ...

‘The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) has given up another secret – unprecedented new restrictions on state-owned enterprises (SOEs)’, says University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey who has monitored the SOE negotiations intensively. ...

‘The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) has given up another secret – unprecedented new restrictions on state-owned enterprises (SOEs)’, says University of Auckland law professor Jane Kelsey who has monitored the SOE negotiations intensively. ...

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll. Source: Professor Jane Kelsey. Professor Jane Kelsey. ‘The “final” ministerial meeting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) in Maui… ...

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll. Statement of Lori Wallach, Director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch – Yet Another ‘Final’ TPP Ministerial and Again No Deal; Not… ...

Michael Woodhouse. Image courtesy of TheStandard.org.nz. Analysis by Keith Rankin. This article was also published on TheDailyBlog.co.nz. On Q+A (TVNZ) on 12 July, Michael Woodhouse, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety discussed ‘Zero-Hour’ labour contracts as a subset… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.com MGSM Release: Sydney and Melbourne property prices have grown at more than 15 per cent per annum over the last three years, outperforming any other Australian markets and creating a bubble, says Nobel Prize winning economist Professor… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.comNew Zealanders love their holidays and according to recent data released by Statistics NZ, last month alone 198,800 kiwis took a vacation. For the year ending June 2015, over 2.3 million New Zealanders left New Zealand to… ...

Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards. Dr Bryce Edwards. Should we celebrate the super rich in New Zealand or see their growing wealth as a cause of inequality and division? The publication of the NBR’s latest annual Rich List… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 7 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Friday 31st July.NEWSROOM_MONITORTop stories in the current news cycle include the progress of the controversial controversial Health and Safety Reform Bill… ...

Source: Professor Jane Kelsey. Professor Jane Kelsey. A legal challenge to the secrecy of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations will be launched in the High Court next week.An urgent application for judicial review will challenge Trade… ...

Source:Smokefreerockquest – Nelson Media Agency – Press Release/Statement: Headline: SMOKEFREEROCKQUEST 2015 NATIONAL FINALISTS ANNOUNCEDThe top nine Smokefreerockquest national finalists were announced today, the crème of the 700 bands and solo/duos who entered the nationwide youth music contest this year.Contenders… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.comContributed by Amanda CarringtonWellington celebrated a milestone last weekend, reaching 150 years as New Zealand’s capital. Thousands of Wellingtonians were enticed to explore the many churches, universities, museums and government buildings the city has to offer. But… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.comThe speech text below was used by Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully used to open the Open Debate: Peace and security challenges facing Small Island Developing States, at the UN Security Council, July 30, 2015 (New York… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 6 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Thursday 30th July.NEWSROOM_MONITORTop stories in the current news cycle include information showing that Social Development Minister Anne Tolley has confined anew… ...

Analysis by Keith Rankin. This article was also published on Scoop.co.nz.On Morning Report on Friday (24 July), I heard the following exchange between Guyon Espiner and Finance Minister, Bill English.Guyon Espiner: “So what’s the good bit about allowing… ...

Source: Scope Media – PERRIAM. Merino sheep being mustered on Bendigo Station overlooking, Lake Dunstan. Luxury merino fashion brand PERRIAM has been selected for a special showcase on wool in fashion at the prestigious New Zealand Fashion Week… ...

…he can do anything he wants….his suit is 100% NASA-engineered teflon & stuff… …so it’s been such an amazing run that el presidente recently decided on a make over and costuming – because he can…because he can do what… ...

Political roundup by Dr Bryce Edwards Dr Bryce Edwards. $100,000 a year to imprison a person is a lot of money. That’s the striking figure at the centre of the current prison scandal and debate, in a country… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 5 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Wednesday 29th July.NEWSROOM_MONITORTop stories in the current news cycle include the possibility of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks coming… ...

Investigation by Carolyn Skelton.Negative side effects of isotretinoinIn my research of the acne last resort drug, isotretinoin, I came across a couple of issues related to the impact of Big Pharma, Pharmac, and potential impacts of the TPP.… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest features 5 resourceful links of the day and the politics pulse from Tuesday 28th July.NEWSROOM_MONITOR Top stories in the current news cycle include more leaked documents that show the funding of District Health Boards… ...

Analysis by Keith Rankin – This article was also published on Scoop.co.nz.In response to my Money, Flow and Debt (Daily Blog and Evening Report, 25 July 2015) one reader responded to my comments about money hoarding and compensatory debt&hellip; ...

Source: Hot Topic – By Gareth Renowden – Analysis published with permission of Hot-Topic.co.nz Headline: A tale of two hemispheres At the end of June, Professor Jim Renwick of Victoria University gave his inaugural lecture. As you might expect of… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 9 links for the day from Monday 27th July.Top stories in the current news cycle include concerns over a leaked document that reportedly shows the Government plans an overhaul to the governance of… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 9 links for the day from Monday 27th July.Top stories in the current news cycle include concerns over a leaked document that reportedly shows the Government plans an overhaul to the governance of… ...

Source: Asia Pacific Lawyers Network.“Evidence is mounting of increasing numbers of internet romantics and international travellers risking their lives after being deceived, coerced and ultimately exploited by sophisticated international drug cartels,” New Zealand death penalty defence… ...

…exactly when am i a journalist? …the hager case has raised some big issues…is it time to professionalise journalism? …personally i think the hand-writing a tag or a name sticker that says “reporter” is the standard we should… ...

Eyes of Fire (fifth edition) launched Friday July 10, 2015. Opinion piece by Professor David Robie of AUT’s School of Communication Studies – David travelled on board the Rainbow Warrior for 10 weeks before the bombing and wrote the book&hellip; ...

Analysis by Keith Rankin – This article was also published on TheDailyBlog.co.nz.To sort out our intransigent economic problems, ordinary people need to understand how things actually work today and how things do not work. The peasants need to challenge… ...

Report by Alistar Kata – Pacific Media Centre/Pacific Media Watch.AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Watch): Most audiences are used to seeing Wairere Tame Iti as the Māori activist, who most notably shot the Australian flag at a 2005 Waitangi Tribunal… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 8 media release snippets and 4 links for the day of Friday 24th July.Top stories in the current news cycle include more concerns about effects of the Government’s tougher welfare policy and the… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.com – Contributed by Olexander BarnesWellington is the city where the vampire film “What we do in the Shadows” takes place, but there are more dangers on our streets than just vampires. Living Streets Aotearoa and the Urban Design… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.comIt may be a fact of the news cycle that Thursday night’s release of research focused on asthma health literacy for Māori children in New Zealand – He Māramatanga Huangō – wasn’t destined to make the 6pm bulletin.… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.comContributed by Amanda CarringtonNew research from a Victoria University professor shows a longer parole period will decrease the risk of prisoners reoffending. Psychology professor Devon Polaschek’s work Surviving the first year explores how prisoners who are… ...

Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup – The Housing apartheid problem Dr Bryce Edwards. There’s a social divide opening up in New Zealand cities, especially Auckland, over home ownership. But is the division about race or wealth? And what can… ...

Containing the impacts in NZ: Acne and isotretinoin IIIInvestigation by Carolyn Skelton.In my previous pieces I addressed problems with acne and a last resort anti-acne drug (isotretinoin); a drug which has tended towards being overused and under-regulated. Many… ...

Source: Royal New Zealand Ballet A magical world premiere from the RNZB – The Vodafone Season of A Midsummer Night’s DreamIn an unprecedented artistic coup the Royal New Zealand Ballet has commissioned one of the world’s most sought after choreographers… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 8 media release snippets and 5 links for the day of Thursday 23rd July.Top stories in the current news cycle include a report from ACClaim Otago, a support group for injured people that… ...

Report by NewsroomPlus.comContributed by Olexander BarnesDebates on issues like euthanasia deserve the widest possible audience. It was fitting then that the lecture hall in the Otago campus next to Wellington hospital was packed full of people, all eager to… ...

Source: Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand New Civil Aviation Rules for unmanned aircraft coming into force next week will improve aviation safety for operators, other airspace users and people and property. Civil Aviation Rule Part 102… ...

Source:Reserve Bank of New Zealand Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler announced this morning that the Reserve Bank has reduced the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 3.0 percent.Graeme Wheeler said the global economic growth remains moderate,… ...

Peter Godfrey and Selwyn Manning. Selwyn Manning and Australian radio station FiveAA’s Peter Godfrey deliver their weekly bulletin, Across The Ditch. This week New Zealand’s Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Inga under pressure to resign after scandalous and tragic… ...

This edition of NewsRoom_Digest contains 8 media release snippets and 4 links for the day of Tuesday 22nd July.Top stories in the current news cycle include Parliament unanimously passing legislation to fix a legal loophole that would have… ...

From The Virtual Desk of Ant Timpson. It all started with a synopsis and a poster submitted to a film competition. From 500 submissions, one winner emerged victorious. The filmmaker’s name was Jason Lei Howden and his winning idea was… ...